Night time is the right time / Parents, coaches enjoy having games in the evening

Doug HaidetPublished: June 7, 2006 12:00AM

By DUSTY SLOAN
T-G Sports Editor
The kids have taken over Brookside Park.
With the demise of the Church League and the league which could have replaced it, those have been supplanted at both the main softball diamond and Brookside West No. 1 by girls youth softball.
And the results, just two days into the parks minor and 89ers leagues going from morning games to night games, are nothing but positive.
Said Red coach Jim Saffle, whose team played Lime in a minor league game Tuesday night at the Main diamond, The biggest thing is I can be here. I would never have watched my daughter (Sydney) play if we werent able to play at night.
Im grateful. I really appreciate having the time to be able to coach both my daughters (Sydney and Jordann), and I wouldnt trade it for a minute. I think, in the two years that Sydney played 89ers ball, I watched one game on the Fourth of July. So thats the benefit for me.
Added Lime coach Kim Halblaub, Many more people are here. Dads can be here. But the girls have much more energy. When we played in the mornings, it would be cool, and then it gets hotter and hotter.
Theyre out here having a blast. They would have played more if we would have let them. I think its great.
Both the minor league and the 89ers league have five teams this summer, up from four last year. League director Tom Williams envisions more teams next year as word spreads of the time change, and he attributes the increase in both player numbers and coach numbers to the move to nights.
They already added a team this year, plus, last year, theyre begging people to coach. This year, we have people coming from all over, Halblaub said. Anybodys willing to help.
Saffle added, Were at five right now. I can see if next year probably being at seven.
As for Tuesdays game at Main, Red topped Lime, 9-2. Reds Abbey Taylor was the games lone multi-hit player (two singles), Taylor also had two RBIs, as did Alexandra Eckrich, and Mariah Lee had three RBIs.
Monday, Red lost to Blue, 7-5. Taylor, Alyssa Slarb, Logan Moritz, Cheyanna Parrish and Mariah Mansperger each had singles.
LIME HITTERS: Maressa Houser (1b), Jeanna Hopton (1b).
RED HITTERS: Abbey Taylor (2-1b), Alyssa Slarb (1b), Mariah Mansperger (1b), Mariah Lee (2b).
Lime 020 0 - 2 2
Red 213 3 - 9 5
WP - Alyssa Slarb (so-3, bb-5).
LP - Jeanna Hopton (so-2, bb-5).